When a Kiss Was a Kiss, and a Sigh Was a Sigh
by Eldalie-mela
Summary: Vernon Dursely has the perfect life, but it all threatens to fall apart when long hidden secrets concerning Harry start to haunt him
1. Shock to the System

Shock to the System  
  
Vernon Dursely exerted a heavy sigh of frustration as he pulled back the curtain and peered out to Privet Drive. Living here was the perfect existence, or so he had convinced himself many years ago. As long as he and his family lived in Privet Drive, nothing could ever go wrong. Or so Vernon had thought- but as naïve as he tried to be he knew his secret past was bound to unravel one day and the quintessential lifestyle he had grown accustomed to was going to be snatched from his sweaty palms. Vernon was snapped from his thoughts by a high pitched whine,  
  
"Vernon! What are you doing? Get away from the curtains- what would the neighbours think if they saw you gawking out the window?" Vernon did as his wife, Petunia said and turned away from the window and let the curtain fall back into place.  
  
"Vernon, whatever is the matter with you? You've been so stressed these last few days. If it's about Harry going to that school, I will personally see to it that the neighbours never find out." Vernon could feel his face flinching at the emphasis his wife placed upon his nephew, Harry's name. Harry had never been an important matter to him, or so Vernon would like others to think. He even managed to persuade himself into believing that to him Harry was nothing but a piece of filth. The boy wasn't a bad child or anything, he just aroused memories that Vernon would prefer to put behind himself. He wanted to be a good husband and a good father, and Harry might just prove to be the downfall to everything he endeavoured to be. Vernon stared lovingly at the bony face of his wife that balanced upon her long neck, at first he thought of Petunia as looking similar to a horse- but he grew to love her appearance more than any other woman's especially since his son Dudley was born.  
  
Vernon wandered aimlessly into the kitchen where he knew his son would be. Sure enough, as Vernon entered he saw Dudley rummaging around the kitchen pantry obviously looking for a snack before breakfast.  
  
"Morning Dudders!" Vernon perked himself up immediately at the sight of his rather large son and a cup of coffee awaiting him at the table. Dudley poked his large fleshy head with a blonde comb over out of the pantry,  
  
"Oh morning Father. I have a question for you." Dudley drawled in between mouthfuls of various biscuits and treats, "What's an orca? I know it's probably a really rude word but some kids at school called me one and I wasn't sure what they meant." Vernon stared incredulously at his son, who was indeed looking rather like a whale.  
  
"Uh," stalled Vernon, unsure of how to approach the matter, "Don't say that word to your mother son, it's rather offensive." Dudley nodded his head in agreement,  
  
"I thought as much dad, but don't worry I sat on the mongrels." Vernon snorted out his coffee in a poor attempt to cover his laughter. 'Poor buggers' he thought to himself, 'Fancy being sat on by Dudley.' Vernon was beginning to imagine several children looking more like pancakes when Petunia came bustling towards him and placed a healthy serving of bacon and eggs in front of him.  
  
"I thought we'd have a special breakfast to celebrate!" beamed Petunia  
  
"Celebrate what dear?" Vernon asked wondering if it was his mother-in- law's birthday.  
  
"Dad you can't be serious. We don't have to see Harry for the rest of the year- that's a cause for celebration if there ever was one!" Vernon managed to collect his thoughts and started to give a prepared, and ultimately fake, speech on his thoughts of Harry going to Hogwarts.  
  
"I just don't understand, Petunia. Where could it have all gone wrong? I mean your sister wasn't of any heritage of that sort, your definitely not, Dudley's not and I am certainly not." Petunia was nodding her head furiously,  
  
"But Vernon, let's not forget what kind of brand his father was." At the mention of Harry's father, Vernon felt a deep seated sickness.  
  
"Dad?" Vernon could vaguely hear Dudley saying in the distance, "Dad? What's wrong? You're gone all pale! Mum- what's wrong with dad?" Sure enough Vernon's usually red and purple coloured face was now a sickly white, his eyes were fogging over and he could only just make out Petunia's worried face swimming before him.  
  
"Oh Dudley no! Call the ambulance! Quickly, Daddy's in trouble- hurry!" Petunia was sobbing uncontrollably and Dudley had knocked the table over in an effort to waddle to the phone quickly. Vernon could feel himself sprawled across the ground convulsing violently but he had no control over himself.  
  
"Speak to me Vernon dear. Say something!" Petunia was screaming in a fit of tears. Vernon could only form one word in his dry and swollen mouth,  
  
"Harry." 


	2. Awakening to Dreams

Awakening to Dreams  
  
All Vernon could remember was the screech of sirens and the grunts and sighs as the ambulance officers attempted to lift his bulky form into the van. He had no idea what happened, but could only assume that he was in a hospital.  
  
"Mum! Dad's twitching!" Dudley bellowed out to his mother. Vernon could hear his wife's shoes hurriedly slapping against the hospital's floor.  
  
"Oh Vernon! I thought we'd lost you. I was so worried- whatever were Dudley and I going to do if you left us? We'd have been devastated!" Petunia threw herself onto her hefty husband and covered him in kisses.  
  
"Ugh, Petunia you're squashing me- what happened?" Vernon managed to mumble between the kisses and cheek pinching he was receiving.  
  
"You had a fit dad; the doctor thinks it was stress related, I think you- know-who placed a curse on you." Petunia glowered at her son briefly; she was thoroughly convinced that it was the mention of that wretched being, Harry that caused Vernon to be in this condition.  
  
"Dad, you know you were in a coma for three days!"  
  
"Three days, eh? Went quickly then."  
  
"It most certainly did not!" Screeched Petunia, "I thought you'd never wake up and I'd have an invalid husband to look after for the rest of my existence." Vernon smiled gently at his frazzled wife and savoured the moment where he was surrounded by his immediate family, well most of his immediate family. The thought of family lowered Vernon's mood completely and he began to feel sick again.  
  
"Oh, Vernon- how selfish of us! Dudley and I will go now so you can get some rest. Goodbye dear, see you soon!" Petunia ushered her son out of the hospital room and escaped from Vernon's vision. Vernon could not help but feel some sense of relief, the panging guilt he found whenever Petunia was around lately had become unbearable for him. Admittedly, he was feeling exhausted and so Vernon closed his heavy eyelids and in a restless sleep he entered the realm of dreams, that held more truth to them than Vernon had wanted. 


	3. Beautiful Eyes

Beautiful Eyes  
  
Vernon knew it was just a dream, but he relished the wholeness he felt from his charming surroundings of a youthful midsummer. His fond memories had skewed the reality of the situation, the sun's embrace felt warmer than it really was, the softness of the grass was exaggerated to the extent of making feather down seem harsh. The idealistic silence that lulled nature's sense was broken only by Vernon's own voice,  
  
"Everything you said to me?" The softness in his voice even surprised Vernon; he himself had grown accustomed to his usual gruff boom of later dates.  
  
"Everything, Vernon- I find myself wishing my daily news would just update on you." The sincerity in her voice reflected beauty, disallowing any notion of corniness or cliché to become apparent as she continued, "Sing me asleep, sing me awake, just sing us away from here."  
  
Vernon gazed lovingly into her bright meditative eyes, which appeared so much as jewels set into a porcelain surface. The sparkle of love shone through the emerald exterior and touched Vernon in such away that he could never imagine feeling so much emotion ever again.  
  
"It's forever isn't it?" He whispered into her locks of flowing amber.  
  
"Forever and ever Vernon, till death do us part." How Vernon wished he could relish these words as he once did. But foreboding knowledge turned his summer into a bitter winter of abandonment as her eyes, which once emitted so much love, grew hard and cold.  
  
The scenery faded, her emotional embrace left him and so did his heart,  
  
"Till death does us part- but you faded like the sunlight. Everything you said to me, I was just a dreamer thinking you belonged to me. Nothing's good now you're gone my love, I need your beautiful eyes."  
  
Vernon felt someone clutch his shoulder, offering security, "It was just a dream, Vernon." His eyes flickered open expecting, nay hoping to gaze into emerald eyes of adoration but was instead greeted by distance eyes of grey.  
  
"Petunia?" He forced a tight smile of despair. She beamed at him,  
  
"You'll never lose my beautiful eyes, dear." Vernon heaved a sigh burdened with guilt as he thought to himself, 'Just take me back to a time when a kiss was a kiss and a sigh was a sigh, and where love was meant to last forever.' 


	4. As Sisters Do

AN- I am currently watching the Rugby World Cup final between Australia and England, 14 all- GO AUSSIE!  
  
Like Sisters Do  
  
Vernon was not the only one plagued with dreams of recollection. Petunia lay restless in her bed, smothered by doonas made for two. It was the first time she had spent the night alone in this bed, generally shared between Vernon and herself or with Dudley when he was younger and his father was on business trips.  
  
However, Dudley had grown much too large to share a bed anymore. Petunia reprimanded herself for allowing her son to eat so much, promising to restrict his food intake tomorrow. Of course, she knew she could never do it to her little boy. In fact, Petunia could hardly say no to anyone she loved. Her eyelids grew heavy as she recalled how strong the bond once was between her and her sister, Lily.  
  
Despite her hate for the magical world, Petunia had still loved Lily- willing to cast aside their supernatural abilities and love as sisters do. That was until an unusually chilly autumn afternoon that sparked a rivalry that would forever cause a rift between the two girls. Sleep enveloped Petunia and delivered her to a long lost youth. . .  
  
"No, no! Sisters share clothes, and makeup. Sisters share secrets and hope- but sisters do not share men!" This much younger looking Petunia was flustered. Her blonde hair frayed out from her make-do bun as the red rose in her cheeks. "Why do you do this to me, Lily?" In one decisive action she ripped open the envelope addressed to Lily in such a recognisable scrawl, hoping against hope the rumours were a load of bullocks. The red of anger flushing across her face was overcome by a pallor of finality as she read the brief message aloud,  
  
"Dearest Lily, Like you I know I should too feel guilt over Petunia, but the love I have for you is too strong to forsake for anyone. Please remember, the course of true love never did run smooth. I look greatly forward to seeing you again, if only to gaze into your beautiful eyes. Love-"  
  
Petunia could not bring herself to read out the name of the man she cherished professing his love to another woman, to another Evans. His name formed an uncomfortable lump in throat that finally managed to break out into a sob.  
  
Petunia would be the first to admit her contempt for wizards and their like, perhaps because she deemed them responsible for stealing her sister away into a world Petunia just didn't belong. However, there was one wizard she would make an exception for. His nonchalant grin and warm hazel eyes grouped with his unkempt raven black hair and complete disrespect for authority was worthy of Petunia's attention. She could forgive his wizarding ways in exchange for his affection.  
  
It was the most joyous time in Petunia's life, she had possibly the best looking man she had ever seen in love with her. But then, he noticed another girl. She went to his school, she was much like Petunia. But more delicate, her bones did not jut out but instead she was shaped smoothly and her hair did not fray such as Petunia's, it was perfect hair to match her beautiful eyes. Inevitably, he fell in love with Lily, and Petunia lost her everything.  
  
Petunia woke with sudden realisation at her thoughts as she broke out into a cold sweat. She felt that familiar lump form itself in her throat, but this time it managed to escape as a recognisable, individual and very impacting word,  
  
"James." 


	5. The Request

The Request  
  
When the doctor had recommended Vernon to stay in hospital another week for precautionary reasons was when Vernon realised he needed to reassess his life.  
  
When Vernon had told Petunia over the phone he would be staying in hospital for another week was when Petunia realised she needed to confront her memories.  
  
The phone conversation was short for a couple married so long, but then some would argue there was an unspoken communication occurring. Both had ulterior motives, each so burdened with their own bitter sweet memories and unconfessed pasts that neither noticed the other's guilt.  
  
"Hello, Dursley residence."  
  
"Petunia- it's me. Er, Vernon." Silence had greeted him, but Vernon's thoughts preoccupied this moment for him. "Petunia, the doctor recommends that I stay in hospital for a while longer- now, don't fret it's just to be safe."  
  
"Oh don't worry, dear." Petunia hated the way her upper-class drawl interpreted itself as if read from a script by a particularly bad actor, "Is there anything you would like me to bring up for you? A book maybe, Dudley's photo album?"  
  
"Er, actually there is one thing. My box- I have the key." Vernon had long kept a wooden chest, heavily locked and wrapped in fine chains. He would never disclose its contents to any other living being- not even his wife or own son. Vernon kept the key around his neck on a lightweight chain; the chain was not his original. As he grew older his neck had expanded to the point that he could no longer distinguish between his chin and blubbery neck, so naturally the chain was replaced. The key, however, had never changed; it had only ever been touched by one other person.  
  
"Your box? Is that all?" Petunia's thoughts turned towards that damn box. The only obstacle in her otherwise happy marriage. Vernon would never let her even rub her fingers along the stained wood grain of its smooth surface or feel the cursive inscription carved into its sturdy sides. Whenever she questioned about it he would hug it to his chest like a greedy child repeatedly telling her it was none of her business. She inwardly sighed, "Yes dear, I'll bring it to you right away."  
  
"Uh, Petunia- please, be careful with it." Vernon felt as if he had entrusted the fate of human kind into his wife's frail hands, "Petunia?" He listened into the phone, answered only by a resounding click as Petunia hung her end up. "Maybe I'm just alone- where are your beautiful eyes?"  
  
Petunia knew exactly where Vernon hid his precious box. She knelt down on her knees as she groped under their bed. Her hand brushed past some lint, the normally obsessive homemaker didn't even notice. Her thoughts were a thousand miles away, a thousand smiles and tears ago. Her fingers felt the corner of the wooden chest. She grabbed it, her grip was a lot harsher than what the box had become accustomed to from Vernon. She freely felt it for the first time as she spoke aloud,  
  
"Vernon would have a fit if he knew I was touching his box like this." She thought for a moment, "Oh, Vernon did have a fit."  
  
~  
  
Vernon pretended to look busy as he heard his wife's feet purposefully slap against the hospital floor. He knew how Petunia hated his box, and he knew she would become frustrated to learn he had been anxiously waiting for it. She entered, with a tight smile thrusting the box into his hands.  
  
"Uh, hi honey. I was just marvelling at the pattern on these hospital sheets."  
  
"Vernon, they're stripes."  
  
"Yes, I know. It's amazing how complicated they've made stripes look."  
  
"Listen, I have to get back to Dudley before he eats the cupboard as well. Goodnight." Petunia placed a heartless kiss on the meaty forehead of her husband. As Vernon watched his wife's back retreat into the distance he felt naught but relief, followed by guilt before both were admonished by anticipation. Reaching around his neck, Vernon removed the key. He briefly toyed with it before easing it into the silver padlock that possessed so many feminine qualities. He gently twisted it and listened for the click. It was a loud, echoless click that caused Vernon's breath to halt momentarily.  
  
The box was open. 


End file.
